Lifesaving rope and belt



July 18, 1939. 1 FRANKEL 2,166,809

LIFESAVING ROPE AND BELT Filed Sept. 19, 1938 lNvENToR dc/ Fran/fel BY 1. y", l. l

ATTORNEY Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates toV new and useful improvements in a life saving rope and belt.

The invention has for an object the provision of a depending rope formed with a plurality of ring elements along its length spaced from each other, and said ring elements' to be selectively engageable by a hook element connected with a safety belt for attachment upon a person.

More specifically, it is contemplated to provide a belt for engaging about the body of a person to support him, to connect support straps with the belt, and to arrange a hook element upon the top ends of said support straps.

The life saving device is particularly adapted for persons working on a scaffold. It is proposed that the depending rope be supported at its top end from the roof or an upper story window. A person dons the safety belt and engages the hook upon one of the ring elements of the rope. He is then free to move along the scaffold and do his work. If for any reason the scaffold falls or swings loose serious injury is avoided by the safety belt and the depending rope.

Still further the invention proposes a novel arrangement whereby an auxiliary strap device is provided for supporting the belt and is also provided with a hook engageable with one of the ring elements which is adjacent to the ring element engaged by the first-mentioned hook. With f this arrangement it is possible for the person to alternately disconnect the hook elements from the ring elements in a manner so that at any instant, at least one hook element engages one ring element, While travel progress may be made up or down the rope,

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference Will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a person on a scaffold and equipped with a life saving device according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the safety belt portion of the device.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed elevational view of a portion of the depending rope.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the safety belt looking in the direction of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional vieW on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig, 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a life savingY device which is constructed according tov a modification of the invention.

The life saving device includes a depending rope I0 having a plurality of ring elements II IS.

along its length spaced from each other. A belt I2 is provided for engaging about the body of a person to support the person. Support straps I3 are attached tothe belt. A hook element I4 is arranged on the top of the support straps and is adapted to hook on to any one of the ring elements II.

The belt I2 is adapted to engage about the Waist of a wearer. This belt is provided with padding material I2a upon its inner side so as to prevent undue wear upon ones clothes, and to add comfort to the wearing of the belt. Furthermore, this padding is of particular value in preventing injury to the person should his weight suddenly be thrown on the belt. Specifically, the belt I2 includes an outer layer of strong leather material I2", andthe padding material I2a is secured to the inner face of this outer belt.

The belt I2 is provided with a buckle I5 mounted upon one end and cooperative with openings I6 formed in the other end portion of the belt by which the belt may be engaged upon different Waist sizes. At the sides of the belt I2 there are-strong metallic strips II which are secured to the belt by several rivets I8. These metallic strips are` formed with openings I9 in the top and bottom ends. The straps I3 are provided with fastening elements 20 at their bottom ends which engage the openings I9 at the top ends of the metallic strips I1. Thus the support straps I3 are secured to the belt. The hook element I4 is of a type which has a metallic hook portion I4EL and a spring closure element I4b for closing the mouth opening of the hook. This spring element serves to prevent accidental disengagement of the hook element from one of the rin: elements II.

The safety strap is also provided with leg strap portions. Specifically, there is a pair of leg straps 2I which are adapted to engage about the legs immediately below the crotch. Each of these straps 2l is provided with a buckle construction so that they may be adjusted to properly fit the legs. These leg straps 2| are connected by straps 50 23 to the belt I2. Fastening elements 24 are connected with the upper ends of the straps 23 and with the openings I9 in the bottom of the metallic strips I1. Other fastening elements 25 are connected with the lower ends of the straps 23 and used as a ringelement.

with metallic strips 26 attached to the sides of the leg straps 2|.

The ring elements II are formed by forming simple overhand knot portions Illa in the rope I0,

5 leaving these knot portions loose, and in the loose on a scaffold or at some other hazardous elevated point. 'I'he depending rope I0 is arranged in the vicinity in which the person is to work. The hook I 4 of the safety belt V=is engaged-with one of the ring `elements II of the depending rope. The person is then free to work around and at the same timewill be safe in the event of: a fall. Should the person fall, `or shouldthe support upon which the personis standing fall from under him, he will be supported by the depending rope and safety belt.

In Fig. 6 a modification of the invention has been disclosedfwhich distinguishes from the prior form in an arrangement whereby more than one safety hook is provided for `the safety belt, and

' in an arrangement whereby at least one of these safety hooks may be engaged on a ring element of the depending rope at any instant thatthe life saving-device is being worn.

More specically, the construction of the device fis identical to that of the previous form, except for the addition of an auxiliary strap which is secured to the upper ends of the straps I3. This auxiliary strap 3|) is provided with a safety hook element 3 I. The hook element 3| is capable of en- 40'1gaging one of the ring elements II simultaneous with the engagment of another ring element by the safety hook I4. With this arrangement it is possible to move along the depending rope, either-upwards or downwards, and at any instant 457- have at least one hook element engage one of the ring elements.

For example, one may Work his way progressively down the rope by unhooking the hook element 3 I, moving it around in the path indicated by the 50 dot and dash lines A in Fig. 6 and then engaging the hook element 3| upon a lower one of the ring elements I, indicated by B". Then the hook element I4 may be disengaged from the ring element II to which it is connected, and moved downwards along the path indicated by the dot and dash lines C. In this manner it is possible to move along the depending rope and always have at least one hook element connected therewith.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modications coming within the scope of the invention as dene'd in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a belt for engagement upon ones body, a hook attached to said belt, a depending rope extendable along a vertical surface upon which one desires to work, and a plurality of ring elements formed at spaced positions along the length of said depending rope and upon which said hook is adapted to be selectively engaged for connecting said belt to said rope to prevent one from falling while working on said vertical surface, said ring elements comprising simple overhand knots loosely formed at spaced positions along the length of said rope, and means for preventing said knots from being drawn tight under the pull of weights applied thereto.

2. In a device of the class described, a belt for engagement upon ones body, a hook attached to said belt, a depending rope extendable along a vertical surface upon which one desires to work, and a plurality of ring elements formed at spaced poistions along the length of said depending rope and upon which said hook is adapted to be selectively engaged for connecting said belt to said rope to prevent one from falling while working on said vertical surface, said ring elements comprising simple overhand knots loosely formed at spaced positions along the length of rsaid rope, and means for preventing said knots from being drawn tight under the pull of weights applied thereto, comprising wire stitches engaged through said rope at the crossing point of said knots.

JACK FRANKEL. 

